[VISTA] Re: FAQ: Windows Vista Volume Activation: Can a Windows 2003 Server SP1 machine run Key Management Services for Windows Vista?
- From: "Jim Kenzig ThinHelp.com" <jkenzig@xxxxxxxxx>
- To: vista@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
- Date: Thu, 5 Jul 2007 09:44:42 -0400
I've updated the article to read correctly and added the link Angus
provided.. it is posted on my blog for future reference.
http://kenzig.blogspot.com/2007/07/faq-windows-vista-volume-activation-can.html
Well as you start to get Windows Vista systems in, the question of licensing
is going to come up. I've had to do some research on this topic to answer my
own questions and now am sharing my results.
In the enterprise you mainly have a choice of either Vista Business or Vista
Enterprise. The big difference in Vista Enterprise over Business is that
Enterprise will allow you to make up to 3 VM's with the same license on one
Vista Machine. Useful for developers!
At any rate you have a choice of licensing Vista with either what is called
a Mutilple Access Key(MAK) or setting up your own Key Managment server (KMS)
on site. Microsoft tries to explain its Vista licensing for volume
activation users a bit at:
http://www.microsoft.com/licensing/resources/vol/default.mspx
Vista can be activated in a few ways. It does this either by contacting
Microsoft Servers using the MAK or by contacting a KMS server you have set
up in your environment. There is a stipulation about havint the ability to
have a KMS and it is there must be at least 25 Vista nodes to run it.
Obviously if you do not allow internet access to your users your choice is
limited to KMS. If you have less than 25 machines in your Office and don't
allow internet access you probably will be SOL after a few months until you
connect to the MAK and activate your licences. : (
KMS Vista activated machines must call home to the KMS server at least every
6 months. If you are using MAK you only need to connect 1 time to the
Microsoft servers for activation, the machines will not have to be
reactivated. There is a good guide to licensing Vista at:
http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/windowsvista/bb335288.aspx
Anyways the whole point of my article here is the rumour going around I have
been gettingt told is that a Vista KMS can only be run on either a Vista
Machine or on Server 2008 (formerly code named Longhorn and still not
available yet!). This is not the case though!
Microsoft in March of this year released Key Management Server software that
WILL run on Windows Server 2003 SP1 or later Servers. You can go out and get
it now from:
http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyID=81d1cb89-13bd-4250-b624-2f8c57a1ae7b&DisplayLang=en
You will also want to have a look at the Windows Vista Volume Activation
Technical guide which also has included a web page you can set up to recover
licenses that have gone into Reduced Functionality Mode (RFM) (go read up on
that one!) Check it out at:
http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?familyid=9893F83E-C8A5-4475-B025-66C6B38B46E3&displaylang=en
Hope this gets a few of your questions answered about Windows Vista Volume
licensing and gets you pointed in the right direction to get started as
Windows Vista Systems will be coming your way sooner than later!
On 7/5/07, Jim Kenzig ThinHelp.com <jkenzig@xxxxxxxxx> wrote:
>
> You are right.. I mistyped that one. It is KMS and not MAK that goes out
> every so often. And actually I just read that they upped it to 6 months.
> Ill correct the blog entry. Thanks. The main point I was trying to make is
> that you can do it on W2K3 now. : )
> Jim
>
>
>
> On 7/5/07, Angus Macdonald <Angus.Macdonald@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
> >
> > As I understand it, only machines activated using KMS require =
> > reactivation every 180 days. MAK activation is permanent unless =
> > significant hardware changes happen.
> >
> > http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/windowsvista/bb335288.aspx
> >
> > Angus
> >
> > -----Original Message-----
> > From: vista-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx [mailto:vista-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx]On
> > Behalf Of Jim Kenzig ThinHelp.com
> > Sent: 05 July 2007 01:27
> > To: vista@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
> > Subject: [VISTA] FAQ: Windows Vista Volume Activation: Can a Windows
> > 2003 Server SP1 machine run Key Management Services for Windows Vista?
> >
> >
> > --
> > Jim Kenzig
> > Microsoft MVP - Terminal Services
> > http://www.thinhelp.com
> > Citrix Technology Professional
> > Provision Networks VIP
> > CEO The Kenzig Group
> > http://www.kenzig.com
> > Blog: http://www.techblink.com
>
>
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